History

May, 1889 Mr. Jinnojo Ohkubo, an assemblyman of Kagawa Pref. Diet, advocates the plan of bridges between Honshu and Shikoku.
March, 1914 Mr. Toranosuke Nakagawa, a member of the Diet in Tokushima election district, submits "Plan of a bridge crossing Naruto Strait" to the national diet.
April, 1940 Mr. Chujiro Haraguchi, the head of Kobe office, the Department of the Interior, proposes the bridge plan crossing Naruto Strait.
August, 1953 Mr. Chujiro Haraguchi, the mayor of Kobe city, encourages to carry out the site survey for Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.
April, 1955 Japan National Railways initiates a field investigation on the Honshu-Shikoku Awaji line (A route).
May, 1955 Accident of Utaka Ferry Boat "Shiunmaru" happened (the death toll climbs to 168).
April, 1959 The Ministry of Construction (MOC) initiates a field investigation on A, C, D and E routes.
April, 1961 The MOC initiates a field investigation on B route and Japan National Railways initiates a field investigation on B, C, and D routes.
May, 1969 New Comprehensive National Development Plan is established (the routes of three expressways are finalized).
July, 1970 Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority (HSBA) is established to implement Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Projects.
September, 1973 Minister of MOC and Minister of Transport Ministry (MOT) indicate to make a basic construction plan of Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Projects.
October, 1973 Ministers of MOC and MOT accept the basic construction plan of the Projects.
November, 1973 The Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway ground-breaking ceremony is postponed as part of the demand management policy.
December, 1975 Ground-breaking ceremony of Ohmishima Bridge in Nishi-Seto Expressway is held.
July, 1976 Ground-breaking ceremony of Ohnaruto Bridge in Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway is held.
January, 1977 Ground-breaking ceremony of Innoshima Bridge in Nishi-Seto Expressway is held.
October, 1978 Ground-breaking ceremony of Seto-Chuo Expressway is held.
May, 1979 Ohmishima Bridge in Nishi-Seto Expressway is opened.
March, 1981 Ground-breaking ceremony of Hakata-Ohshima Bridge in Nishi-Seto Expressway is held.
December, 1983 Innoshima Bridge in Nishi-Seto Expressway is opened.
June, 1985 Ohnaruto Bridge in Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway is opened.
April, 1986 Ground-breaking ceremony of Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway is held.
May, 1986 Ground-breaking ceremony of Ikuchi Bridge in Nishi-Seto Expressway is held.
January, 1988 Hakata-Ohshima Bridge in Nishi-Seto Expressway is opened.
April, 1988 Seto-Ohashi Bridges conclude signed the sister bridge affiliation with Golden Gate Bridge in USA.
April, 1988 Seto-Chuo Expressway and JR Seto-Ohashi Line are opened.
May, 1988 Ground-breaking ceremony of Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridges in Nishi-Seto Expressway is held.
July, 1988 Seto-Ohashi Bridges conclude the sister bridge affiliation with Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Turkey.
August, 1990 Ground-breaking ceremony of Tatara Bridge in Nishi-Seto Expressway is held.
December, 1991 Ikuchi Bridge in Nishi-Seto Expressway is opened.
March, 1997 the head office of HSBA is shifted to Kobe from Tokyo.
April, 1998 Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway is opened.
June, 1998 Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge concludes the sister bridge affiliation with Great Belt Bridge in Denmark.
May, 1999 Shin-Onomichi Bridge, Tatara Bridge and Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridges in Nishi-Seto Expressway are opened.
May, 1999 Tatara Bridge concludes the sister bridge affiliation with Normandy Bridge in France.
May, 2003 Debt Relief Special Law of HSBA is issued (the national government succeeds to the debt of HSBA, 1.34 Trillion JPY, with interest).
June, 2004 Privatization Laws for Four Highway Public Corporations are issued.
October, 2005 Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway Company Limited (HSBE) is established.
April, 2006 Nishi-Seto Expressway is fully completed.
May, 2008 Seto-Ohashi Bridges conclude the sister bridge affiliation with Oresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden.
October, 2008 Setouchi Museum Network is established.
May, 2009 HSBE signs the Memorandum of Understanding with Korea Expressway Corporation.
July, 2009 HSBE signs the Memorandum of Understanding with Kobe University.
December, 2010 HSBE signs the Mutual Cooperation Agreement in Disaster with Hyogo prefecture.
April, 2011 HSBE signs the Mutual Cooperation Agreement in Disaster with Tokushima prefecture.
July, 2011 HSBE signs the Memorandum of Understanding with Japan Expressway International Company Limited.
August, 2012 HSBE signs the Mutual Cooperation Agreement in Disaster with Okayama prefecture.
August, 2012 HSBE signs the Mutual Cooperation Agreement in Disaster with Kagawa prefecture.
March, 2014 Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway is incorporated into National Route Network.
January, 2015 A signing ceremony for a partnership agreement with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Middle Army) is held.
March, 2017 A signing ceremony for a partnership and cooperation agreement with the Shikoku Railway Company is held.
February, 2018 Awajishima-chuo Smart Interchange is opened.
July, 2018 HSBE signs the Memorandum of Understanding with A/S Storebælt.